1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to controlling a printing system which stores image data on a recording medium of a printer in a host computer and prints the stored image data, the printer having a card slot capable of inserting a recording medium for recording a digital still image, an operation panel for receiving a print setting instruction from a user, and a communication interface for transferring information to and from the host computer.
2. Related Background Art
Some conventional printers have a card slot capable of inserting a recording medium for recording a digital still image (hereinafter abbreviated simply to an image). Some of such printers have the function of storing image data in a hard disk of a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated to a PC) after a recording medium is inserted into a card slot of the printer connected to PC.
Some of such printers have an operation unit for instructing data storage to store image data in PC upon operation on the operation unit.
Although a conventional printer has a function of storing data in PC, stored image data is required to be browsed, edited or printed by using software running on PC and operating a mouse or a keyboard connected to PC. A user not familiar with operations on PC feels much anxiety and cannot always print easily.
In such conventional printers, both image data already stored in PC and image data on a recording medium inserted into the card slot of a printer cannot be selected at a time to print them in the same layout.